Looking for 3/4" thick 4’ x 6’ rubber stall mats, to be installed over compacted bluestone. The only ones in stock locally (= no freight charges) are at TSC. Made in the USA and look to be of good quality, but they have one flat side and one textured “bumpy” side. Previously I have used mats that are flat on both sides. Do the new mats go in bumpy side up? TSC’s web page shows them in use outdoors with the bumps up. Stalls will be bedded with shavings or pellets. Thanks.
Hmm, I would have thought bumpy side down. You usually want the bumps to grip the base layer, trying to prevent shifting. I would also think that having bumps catch your manure fork as you are mucking would be exceptionally annoying.
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Do whatever you want, but I want bumpy side down so I can sweep, etc.
Don’t forget that the people that do advertising photos often have no idea what the product is used for.
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I like them with the bumpy side up. It’s really not that bumpy and easy to clean and it gives the horses a little bit more traction. If you’ve ever seen a horse slip on a damp mat you know what I mean.
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Same here! A good corn broom sweeps over the bumpy bits no problem at all.
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just relating to our mats which we bought nearly 30 years ago… “bumpy side up” as the reverse side is grooved for drainage
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But these are not grooved. They are smooth on one side, and rough on the other.
I suppose the “bumpy” side might provide better drainage on a smooth surface like concrete. Over bluestone it probably doesn’t matter.
Whichever texture the OP prefers on the “up” side should work fine. I prefer the smooth side up. Mine are over concrete, but it seemed more sensible, and comfortable to be smooth side up if a horse happened to lie down on the bare mat. I’ve never seen a horse slip on them, but I suppose it could happen if they were wet.
Just found another photo on a different website showing them on bluestone with the bumpy side down, digging into the substrate.
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Recently had a horse that likes to slosh his water buckets have a tough time getting up in his stall since the mats were put in bumpy side down and smooth side up. These are TSC mats. He is a big boy and apparently it was difficult to get him up. His stall is well bedded but sometimes he eats some of this straw even when he has hay. I too would go bumpy side up for extra traction.
Bumpy side up. ALWAYS.
Years ago, I had a mat in one of my stalls that was upside down and had a horse slip, fall and get cast that way. I thought he broke his neck. I watched it happen and I will never put the bumpy side down again.
I think a little inconvenience, like the fork catching on the bumps is absolutely worth the decrease in the risk of my horses slipping.
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Interesting discussion. I too thought the grooves were for drainage. Hence I’ve always installed bumpy side up. On my TSC mats bumps are not very prominent and sweeping is not an issue (I have both stalls and aisle lined with the TSC mats as also my best local option.
I put TSC mats in our stalls earlier this year, bumpy side up. Figured it would give the horses more traction. No issues here, and I don’t think those mats are going anywhere/shifting anytime soon… they’re pretty solid, lol, but we did custom cut them to fit neatly against the walls.
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I bought all my mats for my whole barn (stalls and aisle) from Tractor Supply, over many years as I could afford them. All I have to say is that though the mats are similar, no two times I bought mats did I get the exact same mats. Some are grooved on one side and bumpy on the other, others are less bumpy on one side and more bumpy on the other.
This might be why some people are confused about the grooves and bumps, their Tractor Supply mats might be different than the Tractor Supply mats the OP has.
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